Shock and moistureproof watch case



July 3, 1956 G. P. SIMPSON 2,752,752

SHOCK AND MOISTUREPROOF WATCH CASE Filed Feb. 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l 14. 23 2,3 13 2,4, 13 14 24, if; /Zl -29- 38 21 I E /3 37 34 2,1 15a. LL I 11 33 1 I\\\\/\\\ \\\I\\\ INVENTOR.

40 33 10 Grower R 67272 $077,

ATTORNEY.

July 3, 1956 G. P. SIMPSON 2,752,752

SHOCK AND MOISTUREPROOF WATCH CASE Filed Feb. 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 6mm?" F? 5/772 5077,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent() 2,752,752 SHOCK AND MOISTUREPROOF WATCH CASE Grover P. Simpson, Wichita, Kans. Application February 9, 1955, Serial No. 487,142

4 Claims. (Cl. 58-90) My invention relates to an improvement in moisture proof and shock proof watch cases. An object of this invention is to provide a watch case that is entirely closed,

even to the extent that there is no opening through which a winding stem of the watch may pass.

A further object of the invention is to provide a watch case of the kind mentioned in which a second normally considered moisture proof watch case may be mounted and carried on resilient mountings for the purpose of effectively absorbing shocks from bumps and the like and also for the purpose of holding the second case in a suspended position in and a spaced away position from the first or outer case. This arrangement accomplishes two results, first-the watch is effectively shielded from bumps and jars that would otherwise be injurious or damaging to the watch; second-the space between the two cases serves to minimize the changes of temperature under which the watch operates and this minimization of change of temperature also avoids condensation of moisture that might be in the air in the cases, both of which operate to procure ideal working conditions for the watch.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a watch of the kind mentioned that is void of unnecessary protrusions and the like and therefore presents a smooth and neat appearance. The other objects of the invention will be more fully described and explained as this description progresses.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the watch case device, the case having a watch therein and having wrist band straps attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the watch case and assembly shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the case and assembly shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the moisture proof Watch, the view being as seen from the line IVIV in Fig. l and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail side view of the moisture proof watch case and showing the inner case and watch therein in an upwardly tipped position for purposes of windingand setting the watch.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the inner watch case.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail through the moisture proof watch case and illustrating how the inner watch case is held in the outer watch case and showing how the inner watch case is tipable upwardly in the outer watch case.

In the drawings is shown the device as having an outer watch case comprising a bottom element 10 and an annular shaped wall 11 extending upwardly from the bottom 10 and is integrally attached thereto. The outer case is further provided with an annular internal groove 12 that is in the wall 11 and immediately adjacent the bottom 10. The upper portion of the wall 11 is provided with 2,752,752 Patented July 3, 1956 an upwardly extending annular flange 13 which is externally threaded as shown at 14.

The outer case is further provided with two pairs of ear-like elements 1515a, 1616a, spaced apart and diametrically positioned relative to each other.

Each pair of ears 1515a and 16-16a has registering noles therein such as indicated at 17 and 18 and through which pins 19 and 20 may be passed and on which loops of a wrist band or strap 21 may be mounted for purposes of attaching the wrist band or strap 21 to the watch assembly in the usual manner. This structure is commonly used and no claim is made to it further than the fact that in this instance it is being used to make a complete and usable outfit.

The outer case is further provided with a crystal holder ring 22 that has a central and downwardly sloping portion 23, horizontal crystal holding flange 24 in which is mounted a crystal 25 in the usual manner.

The crystal ring 22 is further provided with a vertical annular depending flange portion 26 that is internally threaded and is screwed or threaded onto the threaded wall flange 13. Around the flange 13 and between the lower edge of the flange 26 and the shoulder 27 of the outer case is a moisture proof gasket 28. The gasket 28 may be made of any suitable material, such as fiber, hard rubber, soft and resilient rubber, plastic material and the like.

The device is further provided with a second or inner watch case which is preferably annular in shape. The case has an annular vertical wall 29 within which is mounted any selected watch movement, either automatically or manually wound. In either case the watch stem 30 extends through the wall 29 and on the stem 30 is rigidly mounted the winding and setting crown 31 in the usual manner. The inner case 29 is small enough in diameter that it and the protruding winding and setting crown 31 will easily fit within the outer case and have a limited amount of space to spare for purposes that will later be made obvious.

The inner case 29 is provided with a crystal 32 that is also mounted with a moisture proof joint between the crystal 32 and the upper edge of the case 29. The bottom of the case 29 is closed by a circular closure plate 33 on which is integrally formed an upwardly directed flange 34 the upper edge portion of which is threaded and is threadedly received in the lower edge portion of the inner case wall 29 as shown at 35.

The inner case is provided with a retainer means for removably holding the inner case in the outer case. The retainer means comprises a split leaf spring 36 that is tensioned for expansion to increase the diameter of the circular position of the ring 36. The depth of the ring 36 is slightly less than the depth of the groove 12 in the wall 11 of the outer case and the spring 36 is therefore snugly receivable in the groove 12 as will later be described. The spring 36 is provided with a U-shaped element 37, the free ends of the legs of which are rigidly attached to the central portion of the spring 36 by being riveted, welded or otherwise suitably attached. The inner watch case is also provided with a U-shaped element 38 that is looped through the first said U-shaped element 37 and the free ends of the legs of the second said U-shaped element 38 are rigidly fixed to the inner watch case portion 34 by being riveted, welded or otherwise suitably attached. This structure forms a hinge connection be tween the spring 36 and the inner watch case portion 34.

The bottom 33 of the inner watch case is provided with a fiat leaf spring 39, one end of which is rigidly attached to the bottom plate 33 by being riveted or spot welded thereto, or otherwise suitably attached at the point 40 adjacent the hinge connection 37-38: The free end 41 of the leaf spring 39 is sprung away from the bottom 33 of the case portion 33-34 so as to tip one side of the inner watch upwardly in the outer watch case when the inner watch case is released by the removal of the crystal holder ring 26 from the outer watch case portion 11 as illustrated in Fig. 5 and as indicated by the dotted lines 290 in Fig. 7.

The preferred watch movement to be used in my improved shock and moisture proof case above described is an automatically wound movement since the winding crown 31 of the watch is normally housed within the outer watch case.

To mount the inner watch case within the outer watch case the sides and end portions of the circular leaf spring 36 may be sprung or pressed against their respective portion of the inner case wall 34 and the inner case and spring may be slipped into the outer case to such a point that the circular spring 36 will expand and seat itself in the annular groove 12 in the bottom portion of the outer case wall 11, whereupon the end 41 of the spring 39 will contact the upper face of the inner case bottom plate and thereby tip one side of the inner case upwardly to the position shown and indicated in Figures 5 and 7, whereupon the crown 31 is exposed for setting and winding purposes of the watch.

The watch having been wound and set may then be pressed downwardly against the upward pressure of the spring 39 into the outer case whereupon the ring 262324 may then be screwed on the upper edge portion of the case wall 11, whereupon the upper edge portion of the inner case wall 29 will engage and rest against the under surface of the sloping wall 23 of the ring 262324 which will tend to center the watch and crystal 32 under the outer crystal 25' and the gasket 28 provides a water or moisture proof joint between the ring 262324 and the wall 11 of the outer watch case.

To remove the inner watch case from the outer Watch case the ring 262324 may be removed from the outer case wall 11 whereupon the spring 39 will tip the inner case upwardly as shown in Fig. 5 whereupon a thin instrument such as a small screw driver or a knife blade may be slipped behind the ends of the circular spring 36 whereby the spring 36 may be easily removed from the groove 12 and the inner case may then be lifted from the outer case.

While the device as shown and described is probably the preferred form of the device it is to be understood that such modifications of the device may be employed as lie within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intention of the invention. Now having fully shown and described my invention what I claim is:

1. A shock and moisture proof water case device of the kind described; said device comprising in combination an outer case and an inner case, said outer case having an integrally formed bottom and wall thereon, a crystal and a crystal holder frame, said crystal being mounted in the said frame and having a moisture proof joint therebetween, said frame being mountable on and demountable from the said outer case and having a moisture proof joint therebetween, said inner case having a watchmovement housing and a bottom closure therefor, said housing and bottom closure having a moisture proof joint therebetween, a second crystal, said second crystal being carried in the upper edge portion of the said housing, said inner case being fitted within the outer case and being spaced away therefrom and the second said crystal being positioned beneath the first said crystal and being spaced away therefrom, and means carried by the inner case for engaging the outer case and holding the inner case in a centered position in the outer case, said holding means being hingedly attached to the inner case, and spring means for lifting and tipping the inner case for partial ejection of the inner case from the outer case upon the removal of the first said crystal holder frame from the outer case.

2. A shock and moisture proof watch case device of the kind described; the combination defined in claim 1, said combination being further characterized by the said inner case having a watch movement therein, said Watch movement having a time indicating dial, said dial being visible through both of the aforementioned crystals, said watch movement having a winding and setting stem and crown thereon, said stem passing through the wall of the said inner case and supporting the crown within the outer case, said crown being exposed for setting and winding purposes when the inner case is in a tipped position as aforementioned.

3. A shock and moisture proof watch case device of the kind described; said device comprising an outer case and an inner case, said outer case having a crystal carrying ring, said crystal carrying ring being mountable on and demountable from the outer case, and means for effecting a moisture proof joint between the crystal carrying ring and the outer case, said inner case having a watch movement therein and the watch stem and winding and setting crown of the watch movement protruding outside and from the inner case and means for holding the inner case in the outer case and in a spaced position therefrom, and means for tipping the inner case upwardly and partially from the outer case upon the removal of the crystal carrying ring from the outer case to expose the winding and setting crown for Watch winding and setting purposes; said means for holding the inner case within the outer case being a split spring ring, said spring ring being hingedly attached to the outer case and being expansively seated in a receiving means therefor in the inner surface of the Wall of the outer case.

4. A shock and moisture proof watch case device of the kind described; said device comprising an outer case and an inner case, said outer case having a crystal carrying ring, said crystal carrying ring being mountable on and demountable from the outer case, and means for effecting a moisture proof joint between the crystal carrying ring and the outer case, said inner case having a watch movement therein and the watch stem and winding and setting crown of the watch movement protruding outside and from the inner case, and means for holding the inner case in the outer case and in a spaced position therefrom, and means for tipping the inner case upwardly and partially from the outer case upon the removal of the crystal carrying ring from the outer case to expose the winding and setting crown for watch winding and setting purposes; said means for holding the inner case within the outer case being a split spring ring, said spring ring being hingedly attached to the outer case and being expansively seated in a receiving means therefor in the inner surface of the wall of the outer case, said means for tipping the inner case being a leaf spring, one end of the leaf spring being rigidly attached to one side of the bottom of the inner case, the other end of the leaf spring being directed away from the bottom of the inner case and being in engagement with the bottom of the outer case for inner case lifting and tipping as specified.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,348,866 Gomil Aug. 10, 1920 1,493,037 Hayo May 6, 1924 1,954,249 Kehl Apr. 10, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 49,638 Switzerland Jan. 19, 1910 340,275 Germany Oct. 7, 1920 

